بگو

What it means

بگو (begu) is the 2nd-person-singular imperative of the verb goftan (“to say, to tell”). It means “say!” or “tell me!” Iranians use it constantly: to prompt a story, to ask for a name, to demand information, or as a verbal nudge. The literal force is “out with it.” The structure is simple: prefix be- attaches to the present stem gu, giving begu.

How to use it

• بگو چی شد (begu chi shod) “tell me what happened”
• اسمتو بگو (esmeto begu) “say your name”
• راستشو بگو (râsteshu begu) “tell the truth”
• به من بگو (be man begu) “tell me”
• یه چیزی بگو (ye chizi begu) “say something”
• بگو ببینم (begu bebinam) “tell me, let me see”

Spoken vs written

Spoken: بگو (begu). Written or poetic: بگوی (beguy), with a final ی that surfaces in classical verse and elevated prose. Modern prose and conversation both use بگو; the older beguy form turns up in Hafez and Saadi. The imperative prefix be- is the same across registers; only the verb stem stretches in the literary form.

The same verb gives the related conjugations میگم (migam, “I say”), میگه (mige, “he says”), and the formal می‌گوید (miguyad). Learners sometimes hypercorrect to beguy in conversation, thinking it sounds more polite. It doesn’t; it sounds like a 14th-century court poet. Stick to begu.

Cultural note

Begu has a slight conversational pressure to it. Pair it with the right tone and it’s friendly curiosity. Pair it with a flat stare and it’s an interrogation. Iranian parents lean on بگو ببینم (begu bebinam), “say so I can see,” when they want a confession from a child. The verb does double duty: “say” (output) and “reveal” (admit).

The phrase is also a stock storytelling cue. A friend will say بگو (begu) to mean “go on, I’m listening,” the same way English speakers say “and?” or “so?” In Iranian comedy and street theater, characters use بگو دیگه (begu dige), “come on, say it already,” to push a reluctant friend into spilling gossip. Listen for it in any group conversation that involves a long pause.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab
• Wiktionary